Through all the travails and team meetings of the Rockets' tumultuous, disheartening 2015-16 season, James Harden and Trevor Ariza remained constants. No pair of NBA players played more minutes than Ariza and Harden, and even with some slippage in their play as things went so wrong around them, they were about as reliable as anything in Rockets red. They also are the only starters from a year ago who will still be starters when the season opens Wednesday in Los Angeles. Of the Rockets' expected rotation of nine or 10 players, only Ariza, Harden, Clint Capela and Corey Brewer were in the rotation a year ago. The Rockets were retooled with a new coaching staff and the system so identified with Mike D'Antoni, moving on from three up-and-down, unsatisfying years with Dwight Howard, and with three key free-agent additions. Change brings uncertainty, but there are some things that are clear, starting with the two players likely to play as much or more than any duo again.

The Rockets have come to call James Harden their point guard, but anyone who saw him handle the ball while Pat Beverley sprinted to the corners knew Harden already was the Rockets point guard without the title.

He will bring the ball up more often and possessions will start with the ball in his hands, rather than working to get him the ball. But no NBA player had a higher usage rate than Harden last season. It will be difficult to imagine he will handle the ball more.

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He does seem determined to be the playmaker, taking full advantage of the outside shooting the Rockets have added in Eric Gordon. The challenge for Harden - along with the usual need to focus more reliably on the defensive end - will be to find the balance between his pick-and-roll playmaking and looking for his own shot.

With the injury to Beverley to open the season, Gordon will be even more important than the Rockets expected when they signed him. Gordon will have to defend point guards, Beverley's strength, while also taking a turn triggering the offense for the second unit. The Rockets had hoped Beverley, markedly slimmer than last season, would be disruptive on opposing point guards while still knocking down 40 percent of his 3-pointers. Those plans, however, are on hold, shifting even more responsibility to Gordon.

The Rockets' pick-and-roll heavy offense should take advantage of the 3-point shooting of Ryan Anderson and Trevor Ariza and the spacing it provides while also getting both plenty of looks.

On a team with few post-up threats, Anderson does provide an option in the low blocks. When teams switch on his screens for Harden, Anderson can go inside and use a strong fadeaway jumper inside.

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Ariza could stay at small forward more than last season and more than Mike D'Antoni planned, with Sam Dekker emerging as an option at backup power forward while Donatas Motiejunas remains unsigned. Allowing Ariza to match up at his best position more often could help the Rockets defensively, but Anderson's play on that end will be a key.

Clint Capela, expected to succeed Dwight Howard in the middle, struggled at times in the preseason but came on late and likely will be the starter. He always has been in sync with Harden in the pick-and-roll, and that was apparent again after he came back from missing one game with a tight hamstring in China.

Nene has been a sensation in the preseason and might seem a good choice to be the starter. D'Antoni said Nene is a top-five center when healthy, making keeping him healthy a goal.

But the Rockets have plenty of reason to have him come off the bench. It can be easier to limit his minutes, a clear goal, while still having him finish games if he does not start. His passing from the elbow can be more valuable with the second unit. He can be effective working with Pablo Prigioni. And having Capela start each half can take away the intentional foul, ha-Capela option.

The key for Capela as he makes the jump from limited minutes to playing at least half the game could be whether he can maintain his energy while defending bigger centers and controlling the boards. He has shown that potential, but it will be a significant challenge for the third-year center.

The loss of Pat Beverley to start the season moves Eric Gordon into the starting lineup and dramatically alters the bench. K.J. McDaniels and Sam Dekker have had strong stretches in the preseason, but neither creates his own offense.

Pablo Prigioni missed two preseason games with a sprained shoulder, courtesy of a hard hit from Pelicans center Alexis Ajinca in Beijing, but the Rockets seem happy to have him running pick-and-roll with the second unit.

The Rockets need a bounce-back season from Corey Brewer, with the ability of the second unit to consistently run important to getting Brewer going again. The ability of the bench to force turnovers, defend and run could allow McDaniels, Dekker and Montrezl Harrell - who might have earned playing time as a third center - to make up for what they could lack in the halfcourt.

When the reserves are in the halfcourt, Nene could be key, offering a low-post threat and a high-post passer the Rockets don't have from other players off the bench.

Mike D'Antoni's offense seems as prolific as ever, creating spacing and open looks consistently in the preseason.

As advertised, he has turned much of the responsibility for scheming defensively over to Jeff Bzdelik and players have responded to him. With so many young players in the rotation, the emphasis on player development is especially important.

Most important, however, might be that D'Antoni and his players, particularly James Harden, have seemed in sync. Rockets owner Leslie Alexander determined early last season that players "were not responding" to Kevin McHale. Whether that was a statement about the coach or players, that has not been an issue so far with D'Antoni, which if nothing else, is a good place to start.